NZXT Phantom 820 Full Tower Case Review

Article Index:

Intro, Specs, and Features

Unfortunately, many PC enthusiasts tend to skimp on the chassis when building a new system. After all, you can get a decent case with adequate cooling for next to nothing these days, making a splurge on a $200-plus, premium case seem unnecessary. However, as anyone who’s owned a truly high-end chassis can tell you, it's usually worth the extra money for superior construction, additional features, ample cooling options, and sometimes attractive lighting. In addition, a high-end case is something that can last through multiple upgrade cycles.

That’s how the NZXT Phantom 820 is positioned: it's an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type of chassis, offering all the options and extras you could hope for whether you’re rolling with the stock fans or want to put in a monster liquid cooling solution.

This full tower case is made from both plastic and steel and is truly an extra-large chassis at 235mm (W) x 650mm (H) x 612mm (D) and a whopping 32lbs. You can put almost any motherboard you like inside, as the Phantom 820 supports all form factors from mini-ITX to E-ATX.

NZXT stuck with its cool and sophisticated white fans for the Phantom 820, and the case can accommodate plenty of them. Four large ones come standard--200mm fans on the top, front, and side panels, and a 140mm exhaust fan at the rear--and they’re operated by a 4-channel, 15-watt digital fan controller.

There are nine expansion bays to accommodate even the bulkiest multi-card graphics configurations, and the case has four 5.25-inch and six 3.5-inch drive bays. One of the 3.5-inch bays (the lower one, which has two trays) pops out easily with a pair of squeezable tabs, and both bays are angled at 90 degrees to offer access from the side panel instead of from inside the main compartment of the case.

One of the highlights of the Phantom 820 is its lighting design, which features multiple color choices, front-mounted controls, and white LEDs illuminating the rear I/O ports.

Accessories for the Phantom 820 are simple yet sufficient and include a helpful user manual with detailed schematics of the various parts of the chassis, an 8-pin cable extender, and a convenient white box that houses all the screws and zip ties.